Freezing and dispensing device



Au8 7, 1934- c. R. slBLEY Er AL 1,969,104

FREEZING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Dec` 50. 1951 3 Shets-Sheet 1 90 "EQ if ug. 7, i934. R SIBLEY E, AL 1,969,104

FREEZING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Dec. 30, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 7, 1934l cl R. slBLr-:Y n AL FREEZING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Dec. 30, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig".

Patented Aug. 7`, 1934 PATENT OFFICE I ,ssaios FBEEznvG AND vnrsPENsING Dltvlcll charles a. Sibley, Marblehead, maar-tlm- F.

Pym, Beach Blum, Mass., asaignora to Sibley- Pym Corporation, Lynn, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 30, 1931, Serial No. 583,838

21 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved device for use in the manufacture of golf balls for freezing and dispensing core centers preparatory to winding them, or for freezing cores or balls for any p 1 Golf ball cores are commonly made by winding a smallsoft core center with anelastic thread under tension. core is, therefore, rendered highly resilient and when engaged by the driver this outer zone is considerably distorted and its high elasticity causes a rebound effect which reacts against the driver to increase the range of the ball. The range of the ball is also increased by so constructing the core as to 'facilitate the distortion of its outer zone or at least to permit such distortion to take place without 'substantial internal resistance.- .'I'othis end it is customary to employ core centers which are readily compressible and flexible, such as soft rubber, or liquid nlled centers. In order to prevent distortion of such a yieldable center from its sphericall shape when subjected to the peripheral compressionfof the first windings, it has been lthe practice to harden the core center temporarily by freezing it preliminarily to the winding operation. The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved device effective for freezing a substantial quantity of coreA centers, maintaining an adequate supply adjacent to the winding machineand conveniently dispensing them as and when required by the operator for winding, all without the necessity of direct lcontact with the refrigerating medium either by the operator's hands or the core centers.

To insure the perfect balance required in the ball, the 'core forming the center -of the ball must, of course, be a perfect sphere. Any substantial weight or pressure on the .relatively soft cores before or during freezing, as the weight of a column of cores on the bottom cores of the column, tends to deform the cores to an objectionable extent. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved freezing and dispensing device in which the cores to be Lozen are handled without deforming pressure of any kind so that the frozen cores are delivered as solid spheres of perfect shape and balance.

To this end an important featurefl of the invention consists in means providing a pathway or passage for spherical cores, herein shown as a long spiral chute of relatively flat pitch, in which the'cores are supported in light engagement and without distorting pressure,'the passage being so constructed and related to a freezing zone or The built-up outer zone of the- (cl. sz-n associated with'a refrigerating medium that the cores to be frozen'maybe delivered to the top end thereof, frozen during their advancing move' 4 ment and discharged from the bottom end thereof as needed. The construction is preferably such that the cores normally tend to roll slowly under the influence of gravity during their passage down the chute and may be thus readily controlled in their advancing movement. In one aspect, therefore, our invention comprises a device suitable for performing these functions with efficiency and facility, characterized by means for advancing a continuous line of ex'ible cores through a freezing zone in their original and undistorted shape.

It will be understood that the freezing of rubber articles, such as core centers, requires the exposure of the articles for a considerable time to a low refrigerating temperature. While the nature of the refrigerating medium is of secondary importance only, we have found that dry ice or solidied carbon dioxide may be used for this purpose with good advantage and in the embodiment of our invention selected for illustration, provision is made for the use of a refrigerant of this character. In this connection an important feature of the invention consists in a heat-insulated chamber having means disposed therein and forming` a downwardly-extending spiral supporting 'paththerethrough for maintaining a substantial quantity of cores closely surrounded by dry ice so that the freezing operation may be expedited and -a substantial quantity of articles handled simultaneously.

The device of our invention also preferably includes a hopper for supplying unfrozen cores to the top of the chute as the frozen cores are discharged from the bottom end thereof, whereby a substantially uniform supply of cores is continuously maintained in the refrigerating zone, and this is arranged to function without opening or disturbing the refrigerating chamber. The coresupplying and discharging openings are also preferably constructed to permit only a minimum amount of exposure of the chamber to the outside atmosphere.

Other features ofthe invention relate more specically to the core feeding and discharging mechanisms, which preferably are operated simultaneouslyland from a single manual control, and to other means controlled and operated thereby for holding the cores in relatively spaced relation and governing theirl movement alongxthe path.

These and ,other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the gio following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partially in section, of a device embodyingthe invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view therethrough on line 2 2; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line l3-3 of Fig. 1; 1

Fig. 3a is a fragmentary view of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the bottom and core-discharging portion of the device;

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view taken on line@ 5-5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing parts of the operating mechanism.

The device illustrated comprises a refrigeratlng chamber formed by heat-insulating side and bottom walls 12 and 14 filled with ground cork or other heat-insulating material 16 and, when the refrigerant to be used is of a renewable nature, such as dry ice, the chamber will be provided with a removable cover 18 for permitting the chamber to be opened for repacking. The cover forms the top of the chamber and is preferably provided with a ground cork filling 16 and a liner 20 to insure complete insulation to the chamber. 'I'he cover may be hinged at 22 and held tightly closed by clamps 24. In the device herein shown there is no needof removing the cover during use except for the purpose of repacking the chamber with the refrigerant and this repacking operation will be necessary only at relatively long intervals. An opening to the bottom of the chamber for purposes of cleaning and defrosting the same is also provided through one of the side walls and this opening is normally closed by an insulated door 26 provided with a latch 28. The housing of the chamber may be supported by legs 30. The means for receiving and retaining the core centers 32 is centrally disposed within 'the refrigerating chamber whereby it may be surrounded by a refrigerant 34 and this means is such as to support a relatively long line of cores closely adjacent to the refrigerant and in such manner that the weight of the cores in the line is supported by means other than the cores themselves. We have found that a spiral path gently inclined downwardly is best adapted to serve the functions of properly supporting such a series of core centers, causingl or facilitating their advancing movement and exposing them most emciently to the refrigerant. We will now describe the means which we have illustrated in the drawings for forming this path for the core centers, or cores as they will be termed for convenience.

A vertically-disposed cylindrical member 36, preferably of aluminum or other heat-conductive material, is provided with a spiral groove- 38 about its surface and iscentrally mounted inthe refrigerating chamber by end studs 40 and 42. Surrounding and cooperating with `the member is a cylindrical cage comprising longitudinallyextending slats 44 secured at their top and bottom ends to disks 46 and 48. The cage is so spaced from the cylindrical member 36 as to cooperate therewith to support the cores inthe groove 38,\` the slats 44 being so shaped as to project inwardlyll to engage and separate adjacent cores. The result;l is that these two cooperating members are adapted to hold a ,relatively long spiral line of cores in spaced relation, -the cores also being maintained in vertical alignment by the slats. As thus supported, each core rests independently in the groove of the member 36 and is subject to no distorting pressure or weight from the line of cores above it. Each core tends to roll forwardly and downwardly by gravity in the groove 38 until f arrested by engaging one of the vertical slats 44, and since the pitch of the groove is relatively flat very slight pressure is suflicient to control the position of the core. On the other hand, if for any reason a core should fail to advance when permitted to do so, the next succeeding siat will engage andV feed it forwardly and this feeding operation also will be effected with a minimum pressure upon the core. The member 36 is held stationary and the movement of the cores along the path 38 is governed by rotation of the cage, all as hereinafter described. A relatively thin and heat-conductive cylindrical shell 50 surrounds the cage in closely adjacent relation to protect the cores from direct contact with the refrigerant and at the same time facilitate the ready transfer of heat from the cores being frozen.

The bottom stud 42 is interlocked with a vertical shaft 52 extending downwardlythrough the bottom Wall 14 and through a plate 54 secured to the bottom wall at 56. A plate 53 tightly carried on the shaft 52 is secured to the plate 54 by screws 55. A portion of the means, shown in Fig. 6, for rotating the cage to move and dispense the cores surrounds this shaft and is supported on the plate 54. A collar member 58 supporting and secured to the disk 48 has a downwardly-projecting portion 60 extending downwardly through a bushing 62 fixed in the bottom wall. The portion v60 engages within a slot 64 in a collar 66 mounted on and pinned by pins 6'7 to a sleeve 68, the sleeve being supported on a plate 69 resting on the plate The disks 46 and 48 have core passages therethrough in alignment with the vertical lines of cores 32 within the cage. A discharging channel isprovided by a tubular membei` 70 extending from the bottom end of the groove 38 beneath the disk 48 to a receptacle I2 on the front wall of the housing. The outer 4end of this channel is normally closed by a door 'I4 hung from a shaft 76 and normally held in channel-closing position by a spring 78 connected to an -arm 80 on one end of the shaft. An arm 82 on the other end of the shaft is connected by a link 84 to the free end of a lever 86-pivoted at 88, both the spring 78 and the weight of .the lever 86 normally acting tightly to close the door 74. A handle 90 connected to the plate 69, and normally'held in the full line position of Fig. 4 by a spring 91, has a roller 92 thereon adapted in the movement of the handle to ride 'beneath the lever 86 and lift it, causing the door 74 to swing to the open position. This movement of the handle is adapted to rotate the cage and discharge a core through the channel 70, the member 74 automatically closing when the core has been discharged and the handle returned toits normalposition. -It will be noted that the discharge of a-core through the channel 70 occursl early in the cycle, the handle 90 being moved to the limit of its stroke and 'then returned to initial position after its initial movement has caused a core to.be discharged.

Resting on the plate 69 are twoiratchet disks 94 and 96 and a collar 98,-all pinned together at 100 and tightly fittedv onto the reduced bottom end of the sleeve 68. 'Ihe teeth of the ratchet disks face in opposite directions. and a pawl 101 pivoted to the plate 69. cooperates with the disk 94 to rotate the cage. A spring 103 normally holds the pawl 'in engagement with its ratchet teeth and movement of the handle and plate in the clockwise direction (Figs. 5' and 6) will therefore rotate the disks and cage, the pawl riding idly over the teeth upon movement of the handle and plate in the opposite direction. A pawl 105 acting on the disk 94 prevents retrograde rotation and a pawl 107 acting on the disk 98 prevents forward rotation beyond that necessary toV dispense one core. These pawls 105 and 107 are mounted on a rotatable post 109, pawl 105 being loose on the post and pawl 109 being fixed thereto, and springs 111 and 113 normally hold'the pawls engaged with their respective When the handle and plate 69 are in the rearward and normal position (Figs. 4 and 5), a screw stud 115 carried by a bar 117 secured to the end of plate 69 engages against an arm 119 fixed to the post 109 and through the rotation of the post moves and holds the pawl 107 outwardly, as shown in Fig. 5, thus permitting movement of the handle from its rearward position to rotate the disks forwardly. After the initial movement of the handle, the pawl 107 again engages its disk and upon contact with the next adjacent tooth stops the forward rotation.'

and simultaneously therewith the pawl 105 drops into engagement with its corresponding tooth and prevents rearward rotation 'Ihe cage is thus positively locked in the core-dispensing position and cannot be moved until the handle is again returned to its initial rearward position (Fig. 5).`

It is desirable that unfrozen cores be fed to the top end of the path 38 as frozen cores are removed from the bottom end thereof thereby providing for the continuous operation of the device.

4'Ihese unfrozen cores may be supplied from a hopper 123 mounted on the cover 18; A tubular member 125 extending downwardly through the vcover provides a core passage or channel from the bottom of the hopper to the top end of the path 38. The upper end of this tube extends through a hole in the bottom wall of the hopper and the lower end thereof cooperates with a hole through the top plate 127 of the member 50. Resting on the bottom wall of the hopper is a disk 129 having a series of holes 131 therein each adapted to receive a core, the holes being so located that upon rotation of the disk they come into alignment with the channel 125. The holes are open to the hopper except at the location above the channel and at this location a shield member 133 so covers the disk as to prevent at all times a direct open passage into the channel, transfer of heat from the atmosphere to the refrigerating chamber being thereby substantially eliminated. The hopper may have a removable cover 135 and a` window 137 is' provided for observing the quantity of cores remaining in the hopper.

lMechanism heretofore described provides for a core dispensing rotation of the cage the distance between two adjacent cores each time the handle is operated, and cooperating connections which will now be described provide for a like and simultaneous rotation of the disk 129 automatically to feed an unfrozen core from the hopper into the top end of the path 38 whenever a. frozen core is discharged from the bottom end thereof. The top cage disk 46 has projecting upwardly therefrom and through the plate 127 a stud 139 and a shaft 141 secured to the disk'129 extends downwardly through the cover 18 and has a key and slot engagement' 143 with this stud. It will, therefore, be seen that rotation of the cage isthus imparted to the disk 129 and that a core is automatically dropped through the channel 125l at each dispensing operation, it being understood that the holes 131 are in alignment with the vertical rows of cores in the cage. The top end of the cage is supported in central position by a plate 145 engaging over the stud 139 and having its ends resting on the recessed intermediate portions of two plates 147 secured to the sides 12 of the chamber. The key and slot engagement 143 permits the cover 18 to be opened for refilling the chamber with ice or for other reasons.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent thatwe have provided a device having capacity for maintaining a large supply o f the articles to be frozen in a refrigerated zone, with the result that each article is subjected to freezing temperature for a relatively long interval. Moreover, each article is independently supported so that it is not subject to deforming pressure before or during the freezing operation, with the result that it is solidified in undistorted shape. 111e delivery of unfrozen articles to the refrigerating chamber and the discharge of frozen articles therefrom is automatically balanced during the operation of the machine so that a uniform number of cores may be maintained at all times in the refrigerated zone. All of these desirable results are-secured without necessity of the operator coming in contact with the refrigerating medium and the frozen cores are supplied one by one as required for presentation to the winding machines.

Having thus described our invention, what ywe claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 4

1. A device for freezing and dispensing flexible balls, comprising a refrigerated chamber having an inclined circuitous passage arranged to support a series of balls in position to roll through a freezing zone, and means for engaging certain spaced balls in the series to eliminate cumulative pressure on the unfrozen balls.

2. A device for freezing and dispensing flexible balls, comprising a refrigerated chamber having an inclined circuitous passage arranged to support a series of balls in position to roll through a freezing zone, spacing means for engaging certain balls in the series to eliminate cumulative pressure on the unfrozen balls, and means forl relatively movingzthe spacing means and passage to advance the series therein. l

3. A device for freezing and dispensing golf ball cores, comprising a refrigerating chamber having means providing a spiral supporting path therein adapted for maintaining a substantial quantity of cores in a refrigerated zone and in position to roll along said path, andv means under the control of the operator `for governing the rolling movement of the cores along the path and the discharge of one frozen core after another from .the device.

4. A device for freezing and dispensing golf ball cores, comprising a refrigerating chamber having means lproviding a downwardly extending spiral supporting path for maintaining a substantial quantity of cores in a refrigerated zone and directing them to a discharge opening, and means under the control of the operator for governing the movement of the cores along the path and the discharge of one frozen core after another from the bottom end of the path and maintaining the discharge opening closed between the discharging operations.

5. A device for freezing and dispensing golf ball cores, comprising a refrigerating chamber having means providing a downwardly extending spiral supporting path for maintaining a substantial quantity of cores ina refrigerated zone and directing them to a discharge opening. means under the control of theoperator for governing the movement of the cores along the path and the discharge of one frozen core after, another from the bottom end of the path, and means including a hopper for supplying .cores to the top end of the lplilith as they are' removed from the bottom end t ereof.

6. A device for freezing and dispensing golf ball cores, comprising a refrigerating chamber having means providing a'long continuous supporting path for maintaining a substantial quantity of cores in position to roll through a refrigerated zone, means-keeping the adjacent cores on the path out of contact with each other. and cooperating means under the control of the operator for governing the rolling movement of the cores along the path and the discharge of one frozen core after another from one end of the path.

'1. A device for freezing and dispensing golf ball cores, comprising a refrigerating chamber having means providing a spiral supporting path for maintaining a substantial quantity of vcores in position to roll through a refrigerated zone, separating means cooperating with the path to keep the adjacent coresthereon out of contact with each other, and means under thecontrol of the operator for governing the rolling movement of the'cores along the path and the discharge of one frozen core after another from the refrigerated zone.

8. A device for freezing and dispensing golf bail cores, comprising a refrigerated chamber having means providing a. downwardly extending spiral supporting path for maintaining a substantial quantity of cores in a refrigerated zone, means acting to keep the adjacent cores thereon out of contact with each other, means under the control of the operator for governing the movement of the cores along the .path and the discharge of one frozenV core after another from the bottom end of the path, and means including a hopper for supplying cores to the top end of the path as they are removed'from the bottom end thereof. 9. A device for freezing and dispensinggolf ball cores, 'comprising a refrigerating kchamber having means providing a spiral supporting path for maintaining a substantial quantity of cores in position to roll through a refrigerated zone, separating means cooperating with the path to keep the adjacent cores thereon out of contact with each other, and means under the control of the operator for intermittently moving the separating means to advance the cores one step at a time and discharge the foremost core.

ball cores; comprising a cylindrical member having a spiral groove therein forming a continuous path, a cage including apluralityof slats -tial quantity of cores in a refrigerated zone and 4 surrounding the member in a manner to space and control a plurality of cores in said path, means providing a refrigerated zone adjacent to the path, and means for rotating the cage to move the cores along the path and. discharge them from one end thereof.

12. A device for freezing anddispensing golf ball cores, comprising a vertically-disposed cylindrical member having a spiral groove therein forming a path, means surrounding and cooper- E ating with .themember for maintaining a plurality of cores in adjacent but separated relation in said path, a refrigerating chamber adjacent to the path, cooperating means under the control of the operator' for governing the movement of 9 the cores along the path and the discharge of one frozen core after another from the bottom end of the path, and means includinga hopper for supplying cores to the top end of the path as they are removed from the bottom end thereof. 9

13. A device for freezing and dispensing golf" ball cores, comprising a-refrigerating chamber having means providing a downwardly extending spiral supporting path for maintaining a substandirecting them to a discharge opening,.means under the control of the operator for governing the movement of the cores along the path and the discharge of one frozen core after another from the bottom end of the path, means providing a feeding channel to the top end of the path, a hopper, and means for feeding cores through the channel from the hopper while constantly maintaining said channel closed to the hopper.

14. A device for freezing and dispensing golf 11 ball cores, comprising a freezing chamber having a vertically-extending and spirally-grooved member providing, a downwardly-extending path for maintaining a substantial quantity of cores in separated position, for freezing, a cage ro- 1.1 tatable about said member to discharge the cores from the bottom end of the path, means pro.- lviding a feeding channel to the top end of the path, a hopper, a core-receiving disk connected to the cage and adapted to feed cores from the 12 hopper into the path when the cage is rotated, and a shield covering the core-receiving portion of the disk which is in alignment with the channel.

15. A device for freezing and dispensing golf 12 ball cores, comprising a refrigerating chamber having two adjacent' and cooperatingmembers providing a downwardly-extending spiral path for maintaining la'substantial quantity of lcores in freezing position, means providing a feeding 13 channelto the' top -end of the path, a hopper, means providing" a discharging channelffrom the bottom end of the path, manually operated means for passing a core from the hopper to said path through the feeding-channel andsubstantially 13 simultaneously therewith discharging a frozen core through the discharging channel by causing a relative rotation of said two members, and means for keeping both channels closed when no core is being passed therethrough. 14

16. A device' for freezing and dispensing golf Iball cores, comprising a housing having heat-insulating wallsl providingfa chamber therein adapted to ice,meanswithin"the chamber providing a downwardly-extending spiral path for'maintaining a' substantial quantity of cores, cover closing'the chamber at the top of thehousing, the coverbeing removable-to permit supplyingthefchamberwith dry ice, a' hopper carried by the cover, means providing a 151 channel through the cover from the hopper to the top end of the path, and manually-operated means for causing the discharge of a frozen'core from the bottom end of the -path and substantially simultaneously therewith causing the delivery of a core from the hopper through said channel to the top end of the path.

1'7. A device for freezing and dispensing golf ball cores, comprising a housing having heat-insulating walls providing a chamber therein adapted to contain dry ice, means within the chamber providing a downwardly-extending spiral path for maintaining a substantial quantity of cores, a cover closing the chamber at the top of the housing, the covering being removable to permit supplying the chamber with dry 'ice,v a hopper carried by the cover, the cover having a channel extending from the hopper to the top end of the path, a removable door in the housing at the bottom of the chamber for providing cleaning access thereto, and means under the control of the operator for governing the discharge of the cores from the bottom end of the path and the supplying of the cores from the hopper to the top end of the path.

18. A device for freezing and dispensing flexible balls, comprising a refrigerating chamber, a circuitous passage for maintaining a' series of balls in a freezing zone therein, ahopper for unfrozen balls, and mechanism for controlling the movement of the balls along said passage and for automatically replenishing the supply therein from said hopper.

19. A device for freezing and dispensing exible balls, comprising a refrigerating chamber, a circuitous passage for maintaining a series of balls in position to roll through a freezing zone therein, spacing members for separating adjacent balls in said passage, and means for relatively moving said spacing members and passage to cause the balls to advance by rolling along the passage independently of each other.

20. A device for freezing and dispensing flexible balls, comprising a refrigerating chamber having an inclined passage forv maintaining a series of balls in a freezing zone therein, spacing members arranged to arrest the rolling movement of the individual balls as they tend to advance along the passage, and means for moving said spacing members to permit the balls to advance and to impel lagging balls along the pas- Sage.

21. A device for freezing and dispensing golf ball cores, including in its construction a refrigerated chamber having a passage for maintaining a series of cores in a freezing zone and an exit channel, a. rotary member for dispensing frozen cores from the chamber into the channel, and operating mechanism arranged to be actuated through a core dispensing cycle for rotating said member and causing the dispensing o'f a ball into the channel early in the cycle.

CHARLES R.s1BLEY. ARTHUR F. PYM. 

